This invention relates to an underground watering system for supplying moisture to a surface layer and more particularly to such a system for watering the surface of an athletic facility, particularly a tennis court.
Apparatus located underground for supplying water to the surface of a defined area is well known and takes many forms. Such systems are utilized not only in agriculture for the irrigation of crops, but also in the sports and recreational fields. Such applications include underground watering systems for football and baseball fields, golf courses and tennis courts, particularly tennis courts employing clay or fast drying playing surfaces.
A typical example of an underground watering system for a tennis court is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,576,511 issued to S. P. Vidal, Jr. on Mar. 18, 1986. The system disclosed in this patent includes an underground structure formed of rock and cinders to provide an artificial water table at a selected distance below the ground. The watering system includes a water tight membrane that lines a basin evacuated in the earth over the complete area of the tennis court to be watered. A ballast layer which is extremely permeable by water and being of generally uniform size rock is laid on top of the water tight membrane. The ballast layer is next covered by a permeable membrane such as cloth. The permeable membrane ss in turn covered by an upper layer of finely divided particles such as crushed volcanic ash or cinders which are prevented from penetrating the ballast layer by the permeable membrane. This upper fine layer permits water to diffuse through it to the surface by capillary action. The fine layer is topped by a finish layer which comprises the playing surface of the tennis court. Water is inserted in the ballast layer, causing the water table in it to rise to and above the permeable membrane. The amount of water supplied to the playing surface is adjusted by float valve means mounted in an adjacent reservoir communicating with the space occupied by the ballast layer. The float valve means is responsive to the water level in the reservoir to admit water thereto when the water level therein falls below a preset level.
It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide an improvement in underground watering systems.
It is another object of the invention to provide an improvement in underground watering systems for supplying water to the surface of a defined area.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide an improvement in underground watering systems used in connection with athletic facilities.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an improvement in underground watering systems for supplying moisture to the playing surface of an athletic field.
Still a further object of the invention is to provide an improvement in underground watering systems for supplying moisture to the playing surface of a tennis court.